Floribunda rose plant named ‘Poulcas044’

ABSTRACT

A new garden rose plant of the floribunda class which has abundant, mauve flowers and attractive foliage. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

Botanical designation: Rosa hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Poulcas044’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of gardenrose plant which originated from a controlled crossing between thefemale seed parent, an unnamed seedling, and the male pollen parent,also an unnamed seedling.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2006 and the resultingseeds were planted in a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark.The new variety, named ‘Poulcas044’, originated as a single seedlingfrom the stated cross.

The new variety may be distinguished from its female seed parent byflower colour. The female seed parent has pink flowers, while the newvariety has mauve flowers.

The new variety may be distinguished from the male pollen parent byflower colour. The pollen parent has medium red flowers.

The objective of the hybridization of this rose variety was to create anew and distinct variety for garden use with unique qualities, such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant mauve flowers;    -   2. Vigorous, but compact growth when propagated both as a budded        rose and on its own roots;    -   3. Exceptional disease resistance.

This combination of qualities is not present in previously availablecommercial cultivars of this type, known to the inventor, anddistinguish ‘Poulcas044’ from all other varieties of which we are aware.

As part of the rose development program, Mogens N. Olesen germinated theseeds from the aforementioned hybridization during winter of 2006 andconducted evaluations on the resulting seedlings in a controlledenvironment in Fredensborg, Denmark. ‘Poulcas044’ was selected in thespring of 2007 by the inventor as a single plant from the progeny of theaforementioned hybridization.

Asexual reproduction of ‘Poulcas044’ by traditional budding and rootedcuttings was first done by Mogens N. Olesen in the nursery inFredensborg, Denmark in July, 2007. This initial and other subsequentasexual propagations conducted in controlled environments havedemonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Poulcas044’ are true to typeand are transmitted from one generation to the next.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type, the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of‘Poulcas044’.

Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages ofdevelopment, flower in parts, leaves, and stems. Plants shown are 2years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a description of ‘Poulcas044’, as observed in itsgrowth in in a field nursery in Marion County, Oreg. Observed plants are2 years of age, and were grown on their own roots. Observed plants are 3years of age, and were grown on Rosa multiflora understock. Colorreferences are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London,England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color areused.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the rose variety‘Poulbella’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,904 dated Sep. 3, 2002, are comparedto ‘Poulcas044’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Poulcas044’ ‘Poulbella’ Petal Count 40 petals 35 to 40 petalsFlower Diameter 85 mm 50 to 80 mm General Tonality Red-Purple Group 63BRed-Purple Group 57C of Flower Color

Flower and Flower Bud

-   Blooming habit: Continuous.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—Upon opening, 35 mm in length from base of receptacle            to end of bud. Bud diameter is 15 mm.        -   Bud form.—Globose.        -   Bud color.—As sepals divide petals are Red-Purple Group 67A.        -   Sepal inner surface.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 144C with            intonations of Greyed-Red Group 181B. Surface: Lightly            pubescent.        -   Sepal outer surface.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A with            intonations of Red Group 180A. Texture: Smooth.        -   Sepal shape.—Apex: Cirrhose. Base: Flat at union with            receptacle.        -   Sepal margin.—Margins have moderate foliaceous appendages on            three of the five sepals.        -   Sepal size.—30 mm long by 10 mm wide.        -   Receptacle.—Texture: Smooth. Size: 6 mm in height by 6 mm            wide. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A. Shape: Urn shaped.        -   Pedicel.—Surface: Small prickles. Length: 30 to 35 mm.            Diameter: 3 mm on average. Color: Yellow-Green Group N144A.            Strength: Strong.-   Flower bud development: Flower buds are borne in clusters of 1 to 5    flower buds per stem.-   Flower bloom:    -   -   Fragrance.—Moderate rose perfume.        -   Duration.—The blooms have a duration on the plant of            approximately 7 to 10 days. Petals fall cleanly away from            plant after flowers have fully matured.        -   Size.—Flower diameter is 85 mm when open. Flower depth is 35            mm.-   Petalage: Under normal conditions, flowers have 40 petals total, 5    of which are petaloids.-   General tonality of flower: Open flowers are Red-Purple Group 63B.-   Petal color:    -   -   Upon opening, outer & inner petals.—Upper surface:            Red-Purple Group N66C. Lower surface: Red-Purple Group 68B.        -   Basal petal spots, upon opening.—Upper surface: Yellow Group            1C. Lower surface: Yellow Group 1C.        -   After opening, outer petals.—Upper surface: Red-Purple Group            N66C. Lower surface: Red-Purple Group 68B.        -   After opening, inner petals.—Upper surface: Red-Purple Group            N66C. Lower surface: Red-Purple Group 68B.        -   Basal petal spots, after opening.—Upper surface: Yellow            Group 1C. Lower surface: Yellow Group 1C.-   Petals:    -   -   Petal reflex.—Slightly reflexed.        -   Margin.—Entire and uniform.        -   Shape.—Generally rounded. Apex shape: Rounded. Base shape:            Broadly acute.        -   Size.—40 mm (l)×40 mm (w).        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Thickness.—Average.-   Petaloids:    -   -   Size.—20 mm (l) by 15 mm (w).        -   Quantity.—About 5.        -   Shape.—Apex is rounded, base is acute.        -   Color.—Upper surface, Red-Purple Group N66C. Lower surface,            Red-Purple Group 68B. Basal petaloid spots are Yellow Group            1C upper and lower surface.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pollen.—None observed.        -   Anthers.—Size: 2 mm in length. Color: Greyed-Yellow Group            162A. Quantity: 60 on average.        -   Filaments.—Color: White Group 155A. Length: 5 mm.        -   Pistils.—Length: 4 mm. Quantity: 25 on average.        -   Stigmas.—Color: Greyed-Yellow Group 162D.        -   Styles.—Color: Green-White Group 157A.

Plant

-   Plant growth: Upright, bushy. Plants are about 45 cm in height, and    40 cm wide.-   Stems:    -   -   Color.—Juvenile growth: Yellow-Green Group N144A. Mature            growth: Yellow-Green Group N144A.        -   Length.—On average, canes are 30 cm from the base of the            plant to the flowering portion.        -   Diameter.—6 to 7 mm.        -   Internodes.—On mature canes, there is an average distance of            40 mm between nodes.        -   Surface texture.—Young wood: Smooth. Older wood: Smooth.-   Long prickles:    -   -   Incidence.—9 prickles per 10 cm of stem.        -   Size.—Average length of prickles on mature stems is 10 mm.        -   Shape.—Upper portion is linear. Lower portion is concave.        -   Color.—Juvenile prickles: Greyed-Purple Group 184B. Mature            prickles: Greyed-Red Group 182C.-   Plant foliage:    -   -   Compound leaf.—125 mm (l)×85 (w).        -   Quantity.—2 leaves per 10 cm of stem on average.        -   Leaf bearing angle to the stem.—60 degrees.        -   Color of juvenile foliage.—Upper side: Yellow-Green Group            144B. Lower side: Yellow-Green Group 145B.        -   Color of mature foliage.—Upper side: Yellow-Green Group            146A. Lower side: Yellow-Green Group 146B.-   Plant leaves and leaflets:    -   -   Stipules.—Size: 17 mm in length. 3 mm width. Quantity: 2 per            compound leaf. Shape: Linear, slightly broad based with            outward extending apices. Margins: Finely serrated with many            stipitate glands. Color: Yellow-Green Group 146A.        -   Petiole.—Length: 15 mm. Diameter: 2 mm.        -   Upper surface.—Color: Red-Purple Group 59C.        -   Lower surface.—Color: Red-Purple Group 59C and Yellow-Green            Group 145C.        -   Rachis.—Length: 60 mm. Upper surface: Color: Yellow-Green            Group 145C with intonations of Red Group 182A.        -   Lower surface.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 145C. Observations:            Small prickles.        -   Leaflet.—Quantity: Normal number of leaflets per leaf in            middle of the stem is 7 leaflets. Margins: Serrated. Size:            Average size of the terminal leaflet on normal leaves is 50            mm in length by 48 mm wide. Shape: Generally elliptical.            Base: Rounded. Apex: Mucronate. Texture: Smooth. Thickness:            Average. Arrangement: Odd pinnate. Venation: Reticulate.            Glossiness: Glossy.-   Disease resistance: Above average resistance to powdery mildew    Sphaerotheca pannosa, downy mildew Peronospora sparsa, rust    Phragmidium sps., black spot Diplocarpon rosae, and Botrytis cinerea    under normal growing conditions.-   Cold hardiness: The variety is tolerant to USDA Cold Hardiness Zone    6.-   Heat tolerance: The variety has been found to be suitable for    climate conditions found in the American Horticulture Society heat    zone 7.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the floribundarose class named ‘Poulcas044’, substantially as illustrated anddescribed herein, due to its abundant mauve flowers, disease resistance,and extended period of bloom.